BELLINGHAM — A jurisdictional quagmire in the Little Squalicum Park area has left the area poorly maintained and underprotected, neighborhood leaders told city officials at a public meeting Monday.

Residents say for years 911 dispatchers have struggled to decide which branch of law enforcement should respond to crime in the area, portions of which are owned by the Port of Bellingham, the city of Bellingham, Whatcom County and Burlington Northern Railroad.

Residents of four north Bellingham neighborhoods called the meeting after a community outcry earlier this year, following an assault, rape and kidnap report that proved false. Nearly 50 people attended Monday’s meeting at Bellingham Technical College.

Since the port owns Little Squalicum Beach, that area falls under the jurisdiction of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. However, Bellingham Police often are more likely to have patrols near the area, residents said, citing response times as long as 40 minutes from sheriff’s deputies coming from remote county locations.

Law enforcement response has been complicated by a 1995 deal between the city and the port in which the city assumed maintenance and law enforcement responsibilities for a northern stretch of the beach, in return for the port’s agreement to build a series of ponds on Little Squalicum Creek, Leuthold said.

But both sheriff and police officers continued to be dispatched to the area, and the city says the port never honored its end of the deal.

The city recently moved to terminate the agreement, effective at the end of this month.

Mayor Dan Pike acknowledged at the meeting that jurisdictional issues must be addressed, pointing to a city annexation plan that would bring the area inside city limits, leaving Bellingham police with the clear responsibility there.

Pike warned that completing even a proposal for annexation could take six months to a year. Subsequent negotiations among area property owners could take much longer.

The annexation process could be further delayed by environmental cleanup issues in parts of Little Squalicum Park, said Paul Leuthold, director of Bellingham Parks and Recreation. The city owns part of contaminated property in the area, but the county also owns contaminated areas, for which the city is not interested in assuming cleanup responsibility, Pike said.

Officials also discussed proposing an agreement with the county, a stopgap measure that would enable Bellingham police to take responsibility for the area, with some type of compensation from the county.

Pike and Bellingham City Council members Barry Buchanan and Louise Bjornson urged residents to contact their county representatives to request that the city and county move forward together to find solutions.